Kornimate/medical-research-clean huggingface dataset:
corticosteroids prevent the atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery

Conditions: Post Operative Arrythmia; Anesthesia; Cardiac Surgery; Corticosteroids

Summary: cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac surgery are associated with a significant systemic inflammatory response that has been suggested playing a causative role in the development of postoperative atrial fibrillation (poaf). the goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of corticosteroids prophylaxis in preventing poaf, or length of intensive care unit (icu) or hospital stay.

most cardiac operations are performed under cardiopulmonary bypass, however, it is well known that cardiopulmonary bypass often causes systemic inflammatory response characterized by leukocyte and high levels of c-reactive protein (crp) complexes, as well high levels of inflammatory mediators that may contribute to postoperative complications including atrial fibrillation (af), prolonged duration of intensive care unit (icu) and hospital stay. postoperative atrial fibrillation has (poaf) been reported in 20% to 50% of patients following coronary artery bypass grafting (cabg) and is even higher after combined cabg and valve surgery. it may increase stroke rates, trigger hemodynamic instability with heart failure and increase risk of thromboembolic complications. the relationship between inflammation and atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery is further strengthened by studies that showed that corticosteroid (cs) prophylaxis can reduce the occurrence of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. corticosteroids (cs) can reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery in adults and reduce length of intensive care unit (icu) and hospital stay. it is a low-cost drug that can effectively inhibit inflammation, limit systemic capillary leakage syndrome and reduce organ damage, thus providing a theoretical basis for its clinical application. however, the potential risks of cs remain controversial and inconclusive in terms of several side effects of cs such as hyperglycemia, gastrointestinal disturbances, and postoperative infections.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * elective first time cabg or combined with valvular surgery. * use of b-adrenergic blockade. * normal sinus rhythm. exclusion criteria: * history of heart block * history of previous episodes of af or flutter * history of peptic ulcer disease * permanent pacemaker * any documented or suspected supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias * renal insufficiency (serum creatinine \>20 mg/dl) * uncontrolled diabetes mellitus * systemic bacterial or mycotic infection * urgent or emergency surgery * patient underwent cardiac surgery without using cardiopulmonary bypass
fci effectiveness in nafld stratification

Conditions: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Summary: the goal of this pilot study is exploring whether field-cycling imaging may be able to detect characteristics of liver disease in patients with different degree of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (nafld) that could be important in reflecting disease progression.

non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (nafld) encompasses a spectrum of diseases extending from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (nash), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc). currently, there is a pressing unmet clinical need to develop an effective non-invasive method to differentiate between different types of nafld and to support the initiation and monitoring of treatments designed to slow or halt progression of the disease. field-cycling imaging (fci) is an innovative imaging technology pioneered at the university of aberdeen. it has the ability to image human tissues non-invasively over a wide range of magnetic field strengths, directly informing on multi-scale tissue structure from nanometres to micrometres. this is not possible with traditional mri. the potential of fci in imaging nafld is particularly promising, due to its high sensitivity in quantifying and distinguishing protein content from fat. the purpose of this pilot study is exploring whether fci may be able to detect characteristics of liver disease, in patients with different degree of steatohepatitis and nafld, that could be important in reflecting progression of steatosis to liver fibrosis and hcc thereby potentially offering new diagnostic information that cannot be readily obtained with currently available imaging techniques.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * participants with a diagnosis of nafld * participants must be aged 18 and above * participants who meet the safety criteria for undergoing an mri scan * participants who are able to fit inside the scanner * participants must be able to give fully informed consent * participants must be mobile enough to be positioned onto the fci scanner couch exclusion criteria: * mri-incompatible conditions, as detected in the mri safety screening sheet * participants under 18 years old * participants who are unable to communicate in english * participants who are unable to give fully informed consent * women who are pregnant * restrictions to mobility that would prevent the correct positioning in the scanner * participants who suffer from claustrophobia

Keywords: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease field-cycling imaging
accelerated continue theta-burst stimulation (actbs)treatment for obsessive compulsive disease

Conditions: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Accelerated Continue Theta-burst Stimulation; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Summary: the therapeutic effects of high-dose accelerated continue theta-burst stimulation (actbs) and 1-hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rtms) on obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd) and its neural mechanism were investigated by functional mri.

all patients underwent a medical evaluation that included physical examination and routine laboratory studies before and after transcranial magnetic stimulation (rtms) treatment. patients were randomly allocated to 1-hz rtms group，actbs group and sham group. patients ware allocated by random number. the decision to enroll a patient was always made prior to randomization. the 1-hz rtms group received one round of stimulation every day for 30 minutes with a total stimulation of 1800 pulses for 5 consecutive days. patients in the actbs group received 10 two-minute rounds of stimulation each day, spaced 50 minutes apart, with a total of 18,000 pulses for five days. before the tms treatment, y-bocs, obsessions symptom scale revised (oci-r), hamilton depression scale (hamd-17) and hamilton anxiety scale (hama-14) were obtained by a trained investigator to assess baseline severity and other symptoms. the patients had receiving a battery measure of neuropsychological tests (standardized tests to investigate their cognitive problems, anxiety and depressive symptoms in daily life), magnetic resonance imaging scan in multimodalities。 after the last treatment, yale-brown obsessive-compulsive scale (y-bocs), oci-r, hamd-17 and hama-14 were obtained, as well as the global index of safety to assess adverse events of the treatment. patients were instructed to focus their answers on the past 5 days.the patients had also receiving a battery measure of neuropsychological tests and magnetic resonance imaging scan in multimodalities. participants were interviewed for two and four weeks after their last treatment to obtain a y-bocs score, and they were asked to focus their answers on the past week.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * clinical diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder * voluntarily participated and cooperated with the experiment. exclusion criteria: * history of significant head trauma or neurological disorders. * alcohol or drug abuse. * organic brain defects on t1 or t2 images. * history of seizures or unexplained loss of consciousness. * family history of medication refractory epilepsy. * recent aggression or other forms of behavioral dyscontrol.
cardiac amyloidosis in hfpef tunisian patients

Conditions: Cardiac Amyloidosis; Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction; Echocardiography; CMR; Bone Scintigraphy; Prevalence; Diagnosis

Summary: cardiac amyloidosis (ca) has recently been reported as a common cause of heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (hfpef), with a prevalence of 6% in elderly hfpef patients. however, the diagnosis of ca is still challenging and requires multiple costly investigations. regardless of the type of ca, ttr or al, early diagnosis significantly improves prognosis. in this study, the investigators aimed to determine the prevalence of ca in tunisian hfpef patients and to identify clinical and ultrasound criteria predictive of ca.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * hfpef during the previous year * ivs thickness of 12mm or greater exclusion criteria: * age under 60 years * acute coronary syndrome complicated by hfpef * congenital heart disease
risperidone maintenance treatment in schizophrenia

Conditions: Schizophrenia

Summary: this study set out to determine the duration of maintenance treatment with therapeutic risperidone dose in schizophrenia. in a multi-center, open label, randomized, controlled study design, patients with schizophrenia who were clinically stabilized following an acute episode were randomly assigned to a 'maintenance group' (optimal therapeutic doses continued for at least 1 year), a 4-week group (optimal therapeutic doses continued for 4 weeks followed by a 50% dose reduction that was maintained for at least 11 months) or a 26-week group (optimal therapeutic doses continued for 26 weeks followed by a 50% dose reduction for at least another 6 months).

prevention of relapse is the crucial task in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia. this study set out to determine the duration of maintenance treatment with therapeutic risperidone dose in schizophrenia. in a multi-center, open label, randomized, controlled study design, patients with schizophrenia who were clinically stabilized following an acute episode were randomly assigned to a 'maintenance group' (optimal therapeutic doses continued for at least 1 year), a 4-week group (optimal therapeutic doses continued for 4 weeks followed by a 50% dose reduction that was maintained for at least 11 months) or a 26-week group (optimal therapeutic doses continued for 26 weeks followed by a 50% dose reduction for at least another 6 months).

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: 1. in- or outpatient of either sex diagnosed with dsm-iv schizophrenia 2. having been clinically stable following an acute episode for at least 4 but less than 8 weeks, with 'clinical stability' defined as a sum score of the brief psychiatric rating scale (bprs) of less than 36 points 3. aged between 18 and 65 years 4. receiving risperidone monotherapy titrated to optimal level in the acute phase of treatment for the psychotic episode 5. local resident, living with at least one family member after discharge 6. having satisfactory treatment adherence defined by a pill count that yielded more than 80% adherence to risperidone prescription over the past 4 weeks 7. understanding the aims of the study and having signed the consent form exclusion criteria: 1. taking antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and chinese herbal remedies concomitantly with risperidone, or having received electroconvulsive therapy (ect), or participating in any other drug trials or interventional studies over the 4 weeks before study entry 2. having a history or ongoing experience of major chronic medical or neurological condition(s) requiring treatment that would be likely to affect psychic functions 3. past or current drug/alcohol abuse other than nicotine 4. being pregnant or having plans to become pregnant, lactating, or not practicing an effective method of birth control

Keywords: schizophrenia risperidone maintenance treatment relapse
role of exercise for wound healing in the larynx

Conditions: Acute Phonotrauma

Summary: the purpose of this study is to explore quantitatively the hypothesis that "resonant voice," may enhance recovery from acute laryngeal phonotrauma, based on molecular assays from human laryngeal secretions and secondarily, clinical tests.

the objective is to use the following operationalized question: does a voicing mode shown to correspond to high-amplitude, low impact vocal cord oscillations, "resonant voice," improve the amount and time-course of recovery from acute phonotrauma, compared to vocal rest or spontaneous speech, as measured with molecular assays (primarily) and with behavioral and clinical tests (secondarily)?

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * males and females who have had voice training and feel they are able to produce loud voice safely; * ages 18-49; * generally healthy; * normal hearing bilaterally at 20 db to 8,000 hz; and * demonstrated ability to produce "resonant voice" during training as determined by the examiner perceptually. exclusion criteria: * current chronic voice problems; * current medications that are determined to possibly influence voice (e.g. diuretics, decongestants); * heightened gag reflex; * small nasal passage; * deviated septum; and * known or suspected allergy to anesthetics.
prednisolone +/- addition of anti-cd20 antibody, rituximab, in patients with immune hemolytic anemia

Conditions: Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune

Summary: the conventional treatment in warm-antibody dependent autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (aiha) is high-dose glucocorticoid, but in more than half of the patients, haemolytic activity will recur after end of treatment or during the gradual reduction in dose of the drug. as a result, many patients will finally be splenectomized or be treated with long-term glucocorticoids or other immunosuppressive drugs as azathioprine or cyclophosphamide. recent studies have shown however, that some patients will respond to treatment with the chimeric anti-cd 20 antibody rituximab and is some cases, the response is permanent. in most of the studies, rituximab has been used in refractory disease or at least as second line treatment. in this study, patients with aiha are randomized to receive either high-dose prednisolone with gradual reduction in dose over 2-3 months alone or in combination with rituximab 375 mg/m2 once a week for 4 weeks. the efficacy of rituximab will be evaluated by a comparison of the patients in the two treatment arms. the primary treatment goal is a reduction in the number of patients who obtain long-term complete or partial remission. the secondary treatment goal is a reduction in patients who will be splenectomised or receive other immunosuppressive drugs. finally a comparison of side effects of the treatments will take place.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * age 18 years or over * clinical and biochemical signs of haemolytic anaemia * positive coombs test with anti-igg on its own or with anti-cd3d * adequate contraceptive measures (intrauterine device, contraceptive pill or gestagen deposit) for women of childbearing potential exclusion criteria: * performance status \> 2 * previous treatment with rituximab * other immune suppressive or anti neoplastic treatment including prednisolone within 3 months * auto immune haemolytic anaemia within 6 months * other serious disease * pregnant women and nursing mothers. adequate contraceptive measures must be taken for the duration of the study. * contraindication for treatment with rituximab, i.e. patients that develop hypersensitivity/allergy to the contents of the drug or have antibodies against murine proteins. * active infection which requires antibiotic treatment

Keywords: autoimmune hemolytic anemia hemolytic anemia rituximab treatment of autoimmune hemolytic anemia warm antibody dependant autoimmune hemolytic anemia
radiofrequency (rf) ablation prospective outcomes study

Conditions: Pain, Chronic

Summary: the objective of this study is to compile real-world outcomes of boston scientific commercially approved radiofrequency (rf) ablation systems in the treatment of patients diagnosed with pain


Eligibility criteria:
key inclusion criteria: * study candidate is scheduled to be treated with a commercially approved boston scientific rf system for pain per local directions for use (dfu) * signed a valid, irb/ec/reb-approved informed consent form key exclusion criteria: * meets any contraindications per locally applicable directions for use (dfu) * currently diagnosed with cognitive impairment, or exhibits any characteristic, that would limit study candidate's ability to assess pain relief or to complete study assessments

Keywords: radiofrequency (rf)
grounding effect on alzheimer's disease

Conditions: Alzheimer Disease; Insomnia; Depression, Anxiety

Summary: the investigators explore the effectiveness of grounding as a non-pharmacological therapy for treating sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression in patients with mild ad.

grounding refers to having direct contact with the earth, such as walking barefoot or lying on the ground. research has found that grounding can improve inflammation, free radical damage, blood pressure, sleep quality, pain, stress, mood, and wound healing. however, there has been no re-search on the effect of utilizing grounding for patients with alzheimer's disease (ad). thus, in this study, the investigators explore the effectiveness of grounding as a non-pharmacological therapy for treating sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression in patients with mild ad. patients with mild ad were enrolled in the study. the electrochemical analyzer chi 1205b was employed to check the electrochemical signals at acupoints ki1 and gv16. the investigators used the pittsburgh sleep quality index (psqi), beck anxiety inventory (bai), and beck depression inventory-ii (bdi-ii) to evaluate sleep quality, anxiety, and depression, respectively, at weeks 0 and 12.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * diagnosed with dementia, and cdr ≥ 0.5 * aged \> 50 years, * sit with bilateral bare feet on the grounding mat * able to answer the questionnaire * able to sign the informed consent adequately. exclusion criteria: * aged less than 50 years * inability to sit with bilateral bare feet on the grounding mat * currently taking anti-oxidative health supplements or anti-inflammatory medicine.
effects of physical training on adipose tissue metabolism and insulin sensitivity in the menopausal transition phase

Conditions: Menopause; Insulin Resistance; Body Composition, Beneficial

Summary: the purpose of this study is to determine if physical exercise reduces the adverse changes in adipose tissue metabolism and insulin sensitivity that occurs in women during the menopausal transition.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * premenopausal or postmenopausal (45-57 years) * no chronical diseases * bmi \> 18,5 and \< 30 * sedentary (no regular physical activity the last 2 years) * either regular bleeding (premenopausal) or no menstruation for at least 2 years (postmenopausal) * plasma measurements: premenopausal: estradiol \> 0.20nmol/l, follicle stimulating hormone \ 2.5 nmol/l postmenopausal: estradiol \ 22 iu/l and progesterone from 0.3-2.5 nmol/l exclusion criteria: * smoking * excessive alcohol intake * regular medication including hormone replacement treatment
natalizumab (tysabri) re-initiation of dosing

Conditions: Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Summary: the primary objectives for the initial treatment period of this study are to further evaluate the safety of natalizumab monotherapy by evaluating the risk of hypersensitivity reactions and immunogenicity following re-exposure to natalizumab and confirming the safety of switching from interferon (ifn), glatiramer acetate, or other multiple sclerosis (ms) therapies to natalizumab. the primary objective for the long-term treatment period of this study is to evaluate the long-term impact of natalizumab monotherapy on the progression of disability measured by expanded disability status scale (edss) changes over time.

study 101-ms-322 (nct00306592) was conducted to evaluate the safety of natalizumab monotherapy following re-exposure to natalizumab in former clinical trial participants in studies c-1801 (nct00027300), c-1802 (nct00030966), and c-1803 (nct00097760) and included subjects in north america. in parallel with the conduct of that study, this study (101-ms-321 \[nct00297232\]) was initiated for participants in europe and the rest of the world. in addition, after 48 weeks, participants from 101-ms-322 (nct00306592) could enter study 101-ms-321 (nct 00297232), which was considered the long-term treatment period of 101-ms-322 (nct00306592). the primary purpose and primary outcome for both studies are identical; therefore, the combined long-term data from both studies are presented. (combined week 48 data from both studies are presented in the 101-ms-322 \[nct00306592\] record.)

Eligibility criteria:
key inclusion criteria * ms subjects who completed study c-1801 (nct00027300), c-1802 (nct00030966), or c-1803 (nct00097760) and a dosing suspension safety evaluation (neurological examination or a magnetic resonance imaging scan) or participated in the ima 04001 (stars) study * subjects who are considered by the investigator to be free of signs and symptoms suggestive of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and willing to discontinue and remain free from concomitant immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory treatment (including ifn-beta and glatiramer acetate) while being treated with natalizumab during the study. * in addition, subjects who completed 48 weeks of treatment in study 101-ms-322 (nct00306592) in canada will be allowed to enter this study at the start of the long-term treatment period (week 52 - 480). key exclusion criteria * considered by the investigator to be immunocompromised * history of persistent anti-natalizumab antibodies, based upon testing from prior natalizumab studies * history of any major disease or malignancy * discontinued natalizumab in a previous study due to allergic reaction note: other protocol defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis ms
gamified rehab vs take-home packet rehab for non-specific low back pain

Conditions: Non-specific Low Back Pain

Summary: two groups with non-specific low back pain will be completing the same exercise protocol. the leaderboard group will have a gamified experience and the take-home packet group will be using a paper take-home packet. outcomes will be measured at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, with pain and disability also being measured at 12 and 18 months.

there will be two groups in this study, the leaderboard group, and the take-home packet group. the leaderboard group and the take-home packet group will be completing the same exercise program throughout the 6-weeks. the exercises included the plank, side plank (left and right side), foot elevated (left and right side), dead bug and bird dog exercise until discontinuation. the exercises will increase with repetitions every two weeks and that outline is listed below in procedures involved. the leaderboard group will have on demand video access to the exercises and the take-home packet group will have a take-home packet. the leaderboard group will also be receiving weekly leaderboards of average and top exercise durations of the leaderboard group participants. the audio description of exercise in the on-demand video group is the same script as the written description in the take-home packet.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * must be 18-45 years old * biological sex of male or female * self-reported low back pain within the previous 6 months or greater than 3 episodes within the past 3 years exclusion criteria: * must not be currently seeing and or receiving care from an athletic trainer, physical therapist, or other rehabilitation specialist in the previous 6 months * must not have low back pain conditions such as lumbar spondylosis, herniated disc, spondylolisthesis, previous spine surgery, currently pregnant, experiencing neurological symptoms or other muscular abnormalities * unable to assume the exercise starting position * current use of lidocaine patches or prescription pain medicine